IELTS SPEAKING CUE CARD
[PART 2]
A LINE THAT YOU
REMEMBER FROM A POEM
OR SONG
Describe a line (or a few words) that you remember from a poem or song
You should say:
- What it is
- Which song or poem is from
- How you knew it
And explain how you feel about it
A N S W E R
Well, you might laugh at me but I’m more than eager to talk about every child’s lullaby, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star since it has a deeper meaning if we listen to it closely. I find the many interpretations of that song both entertaining and fascinating. The lyrics of this lullaby are from the poem, The Star, written by the English poet Jane Taylor in the 19th century.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Eager [adj.] – strongly wanting to do or have something
Listen to something closely [phrase] – listen carefully
Interpretation [noun] – the act of explaining the meaning
Lullaby [noun] – a quiet gentle song to make a child sleep
TIP
i.) The speaker started in a very natural tone and gave his answer (the song title) at once. Then, he provided the origin of the song which helped him sound knowledgeable. Doing that, helped him develop a strong foundation for his monologue.
Of course, I learned this song when I was little and I believe this is part of everyone’s childhood. This song or poem has many adaptations around the world which makes it more accessible to everyone and because of that, it became world-famous.
Actually, that song reminds me of my innocence when all I wanted was to be safe in my parents’ loving arms most especially when I needed to hit the hay. Listening to it helped me get to sleep because of its soothing melody. That’s when I was just a kid.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
World-famous [adj.] – known throughout the world
Hit the hay [phrase] – go to bed
Soothing [adj.] – having a gently calming effect
TIP
ii.) The speaker continued developing his monologue by simply talking about his childhood memories of that song. He described his experience upon listening to that song. That part served as supplemental details of his story which was helpful for him in extending his story.
Back when I started learning literature in school during my high school days, I realized that it could be interpreted in so many ways. Upon reading some interpretations, I did learn that that song was more than a song for making a child sleep. First, what I learned was that that’s written from the perspective of a child who wonders and addresses the star directly to what it is. It simply portrays the innocence of a child.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Perspective [noun] – view; point of view
Wonder [verb as used in the answer] – to think curiously
Portray [verb] – depict; illustrate
TIP
iii.) In this part, he recalled the time when he learned the meaning of the song in school. He shared the story behind the composition of that song. That part also served as supplemental detail.
However, the interpretations vary a lot, I read some interpretations of that song from different authors or poets, and I learned that it could mean a poor man’s wonder about what it would be like to have a privileged kind of life but one interpretation that struck me the most was the political view of that song. The first line, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star How I Wonder What You Are, could mean, that an ordinary man sees political leaders but doesn’t know anything about them.
The second line, Up Above The World So High, Like A Diamond In The Sky, could simply mean, those leaders are higher than everyone else and that makes them untouchable. Diamond could mean the wealth that leaders possess which the commoners could only wish for. Well, anyway, that’s what I like about songs or poems – they’re open to many interpretations and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star is no exception.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Privileged [adj.] – having special rights; advantages; wealthy It strikes me [idiom] – used to say that one thinks that something is unexpected
Untouchable [adj.] – being better than anyone else; too distant to be touched
Wish for [phrasal verb] – to want something
TIP
iv.) That part, he transitioned to talking about the two memorable interpretations of that song that he learned. Then he focused on talking about the political interpretation of that song that fascinated him. He gave meaning to the first and second lines as a good strategy for him to utilize his time more.
PART 3
Are you good at memorizing things?
Unfortunately not, I tend to forget things very easily and I don’t know why – maybe I don’t pay much attention to things or perhaps I’m just having faulty memory. In fact, I didn’t do well on history quizzes when I was a student, as you know, most history questions asked on exams examine students’ retention. I terribly failed to remember important dates, complete names of significant people in the past, and the like, as a result, I never achieved a perfect score in any history quizzes I took. To be honest with you, I tried taking some memory enhancers sometime in the past but to no avail.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Pay attention [phrasal verb] – to listen, watch, or consider carefully
Perhaps [adv.] – maybe
Retention [noun] – the power of remembering things
Memory enhancer [noun] – nutritional supplement which is thought to improve mental function
To no avail [idiom] – without success
TIP
i.) The speaker gave a negative answer to the question and stated one good example of his experience that would prove why he wasn’t good at memorizing. By giving an example, he’s able to discuss more and as a result, he delivered an organized answer.
Do you think children like the rhythm of songs or poems? Why?
Although I’m not a parent yet or a psychologist who can understand the behavior of a child professionally, I believe children love the rhythm or the melody of songs, most especially children’s songs. If they didn’t, then children’s music wouldn’t come into existence. Actually, the children’s music industry is a gigantic business simply because children find pleasure in listening to that kind of music.
Also, I’ve never heard of a child who doesn’t enjoy listening to music, I do believe that they like music, maybe except for heavy metal or hard rock music.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Rhythm [noun] – tempo; strong & regular repeated pattern of movement or sound
Come into existence [idiom] – to begin to exist
Gigantic [adj.] – huge
Find pleasure [phrase] – enjoy something very much
Heavy metal [noun] – harsh-sounding rock music
Hard rock [noun] – the heavy use of aggressive vocals, distorted electric guitars, etc.
TIP
i.) The speaker developed his introduction naturally by acknowledging that he’s neither a parent nor a psychologist who could provide a parental or professional evaluation of children’s behavior. That’s a very good introduction, before giving his opinion. His answer focuses on the existence of children’s music as the reason behind why he believed children liked the rhythm of songs. It’s a well-thought-out answer and spontaneous!
Do you think it is easier for children to learn a song or poem than adults? Why?
I believe so, as we know a child’s brain is incredibly sensitive to external stimuli, they are like sponges absorbing information around them and then actively responding or making sense of it. In other words, they can easily learn a song, a poem, or play a musical instrument because of the unique characteristics of their brain.
Unlike us adults, who are mostly preoccupied with various kinds of things that distract us from learning how to memorize poems, songs, or play a musical instrument, children are simply incredible at learning new things quickly. So if I become a parent one day, I’ll make sure to enroll my child in music lessons.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Incredibly [adv.] – extremely
External stimuli [noun] – something that originates from outside
Preoccupied [adj.] – engrossed in thought; thinking a lot about something
Distract [verb] – prevent on concentrating
Make sure [phrasal verb] – ensure; make certain
TIP
i.) The speaker gave a positive answer directly but did not say the usual ‘yes’, instead, he used an alternative for ‘yes’. Then he shared his general knowledge about the ability of children to learn things very easily. Also, to discuss his answer a little bit more, he stated the reason why adults couldn’t learn quickly as children and ended his answer by sharing his personal view about sending his child to a music school.
What can people learn from songs or poems?
Well, mostly life lessons because each song or poem is a literary product of the author or composer’s life experiences such as love, success, failure, betrayal, and some social issues, to name but a few. It is through songs or poems, we find peace, inspiration, strength, and consolation whenever we feel down in the dumps or completely lost.
Thanks to the creative minds of writers or songwriters, we’re able to connect with people and understand the life experiences or challenges that we are going through, by listening to or reading the words from their songs or poems that they carefully and heartily compose.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Literary [adj.] – concerning to content of the literature
To name but a few [idiom] – to provide only a few examples Consolation [noun] – solace; comfort
Down in the dumps [idiom] – unhappy
Go through [phrasal verb] – undergo; experience
Heartily [adv.] – in a hearty manner; sincerely
TIP
i.) The speaker gave a direct answer to the question and enumerated the different life lessons that people could learn from songs or poems. He talked about the creativity of songwriters and poets and how it impacted people. In that way, he’s able to discuss his answers clearly and at length, not to mention he did equip his answers with topic vocabulary.
Study the recent IELTS cue card about
AN AREA OF SCIENCE THAT INTERESTS YOU.
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Meaning of Words and Phrases Sources: Collins, Macmillan, Cambridge, Oxford
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